House of God Ostracon:- This Ostracon (writing on pottery) was discovered in Arad, an ancient Judean administrative center. Written in ancient Hebrew script dated to the early 6th century BCE, it is presumed to be one of the earliest epigraphic references to the Temple in Jerusalem.A portion of the inscription reads: "To my lord Elyashib,may the Lord seek your welfare and as to the matter which you command me it is well,he is in the House of God"

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Some of these writings are man’s way of creating answers to questions which every person holds within their minds. Namely questioning why they exist, and what their purpose is, and how they came to be, and what is to become of them at the time of their passing. These things have long been desired to know. (z2 of 12)

~Families of Writing Systems~ Another way to classify writing systems is by "family". This classification can get a bit fuzzy. "Family" can denote a group of writing systems that either have evolved from a common ancestor or have similar "style" or appearance. An example of this latter definition would be Old Persian, which looks like cuneiform but isn't directly descended from Summerian or Akkadian.

Perhaps the Oldest European Alphabet
Circa 800 BCE. A writing tablet in Greek/Phoenician dating from this time may be the oldest European alphabet, the oldest writing tablet extant, and part of the world's oldest book in codex form. The other old writing tablets are 2 from Nimrod [Nimrud], one ivory, the other walnut wood, dated 707 - 705 BC., in addition to a 8th c. BC Neo-Hittite wood tablet.

A particularly interesting artifact from the Solomon Temple reign of King Uzziah of Judah, c. 750 BC, is a small ivory pomegranate - vase shaped with a long neck and petals. Around its shoulder, in an early Hebrew script, is inscribed "Sacred donation for the priests of the House of the Lord ". Like the Temple Ostracon and the David Tablet, this item is also held at the Israel Museum.

On Oct. 23, 2012, the Basel Museum of Ancient Art will open an exhibit on this "Atlantis in the Desert." "Petra - Miracle in the Desert" will showcase some 150 artifacts from the city and run until March 17, 2013. Here, one of the few pieces of Nabataean writing to survive.

GREECE CHANNEL | Linear A - The Minoans developed the first written systems of Europe, the ornamental Cretan Hieroglyphs, and the stylized Linear A. Linear A is similar to Linear B, the writing system of Mycenaean Greeks. One major similarity to Linear B is the fact that most of the Linear A inscriptions are accounting lists of goods. One significant difference between Linear A and Linear B, however, is that Linear A was also used on personal objects for religious dedications.